New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-04
COOPERATION OF LABOR,
,.,,,ev w,rg SENATOR STANFORD

III. ., CORRESPONDENT THE TRIBUNE
i'so~ Tn xcIsoo April 23.--In conversation WIN
..,ond.rf of TIE TRIBUNE Senator S'an,''A
~,.,nsa the objects 10 he attained py tho ui' A..
III introduced By himself in the senase y. w
Trn,tsd statos with reference to the iorna,'oA
o..r.,,ve associatious. substantially rs 'oiv" N
-. advantage to labor arising out Oh 'a0
o,'.ranv, effort and relation has been apIsler 18th
Gov many years, From my earliest aoq"" a,daon, IN
The seience OF political economy u nus .op ana that
nv mind that capital was the prouu's So No natural
therefore in its hest analysis there eo'u av could
So,.or cau,ta and labor because 'hcro ooU-I
49,. ar.oron,sm between cause and erect, p. , ~,
cn. nd the result Of efforts and' since % ,..roon
av.t ~ labor, there could he no coNnV' ,s..o,
-, and its product. Keeping this iunuA- 80
a,,si IN view 1t is obvious that the seeming si
prncpio" AZ ,,o, ond labor is the result OF decep-
on''n have always been fully persuaueu
80. .hou,h co-operation labor could become It's Wv"
,or Tho investment and employment OF cnp'"i
orc 1ependent entirely upon the prouuo. VI wy 80.
omn,oved nv It. All active capital is iheIel. .'l' 49,
,,n, Labor II is ont OF the product OF iapoi % "
,,,oved that capital is rewarded CaP,'ai i' ao1
onner not to require the employment OF l"ooi 20 "
oo,tto, Money invested In land where the i'n"
ot cultivated or In buildings which are un'en"no'
90 idle az IL the gold and silver invested III 'n'N" w
never been mined; but all capital employ yea Ill
,ras In agriculture, in commerce. III arls' III 'i"'p
ton il active capital, and is sustained anu
g., activity wholly out of the result OF the iaoor ei
ploys Labor and capital, thus assooi"'O"' ~
all the reward which nures TO them- . III,
AN things have value only In proportion 10 'ne'i
usceptibty OF becoming valuable by the auui'io" VI
Labor The ore in the mine has value Only peo""'0
apabiity of being converted by the application VI "o
,ner the direction OF the enterprise into Things usc
IN man. Land is valuable only In proportion Dis &c
oh,o ~ Welding to the labor expended upon IL large
,oturr In the way of products adapted TO supply huh
wants The value of everything In the way Vi ia" ~
unwrought material depends entirely upon l's s"sep
blity OF being converted into property ana 'ic
sion OF the original raw materials into property III INC
,vav of wares merchandise, fabrics, or works OF ART
resides wholly in their capabity. muer INC
ton of labor, of being so converted
LABOR THE CREATOR OF CAPITAL.
"Tbus again we find the wealthof the world 10 DE III inc
product of labor Labor Is the creator OF c"pi'i' anu
capital is in tho nature OF storedup force IL Is Ac
the balance wheel OF an engine when mas no mouon
that has not been impaired TO it, but 1t Is reservoir OIL
torce which will perpetuae the motion OF the machinery
after the propelling power has ceased man taxes
f thousand dollars of capital builds workshop buys
raw material advantagcOusly, and engages huurcu
workmcn 10 manufacture boots and Shoes inns Is inc
foundation of enterprise. The employer OF LABOR Is
benefactor The great majority OF mankind 90 hot
originate employments for themselves. They either
have not the disposition the ability to so originate and
direct their own employment Whatever may be the
fau il is true that the majority of mankind are en-
ployed by the minority. Capital directed by mtehgen'
enterprise is vast benefactor TO man. The man VINO
through others makes 10 two blades OF grass Wnere
but one grew before is benefactor TO mankind III the
largest senses but suppose that eachof the one hundred
workcn employed produce in excess OF his wages the
yalue of one dollar day. One dollar day for each
aggregated gives one numbered dollars per day TO the
employer. The profit 10 the employer then Is one
hundred dollars per day.
ain the aggregate the one hundred men employed, by
associatng their effort and their credit, and possibly
their capital could command snfciency OF that reserve
force which call capital to build the shop and pur
chase the material with which TO start business II they
do not possess the capital In the aggregate am fuy
persuaded that one hundred Industrious sober slniu
mechanics agreeing to combine their labor Industry a
nteigcnee would possess sufficient credit to command
The capital necessary lay the foundation OF enterprise
system of permitting labor to be hired and directed by
one who In the prosecution of beneficial enterprise
originates employment for these one hundred men
there is a difference in favor OF cooperation Oh one
hundred dollars day, that amount peing the pH
would pay else for originating their enpio!
III shond he borne in mind that laborempoyed not
only creates its wages but creates the premium
which Da the the e@5SPsms ve%ed from this standpoint
there is sense in which the labor SO cooperalng ~
cntnrSrise 70 opgnate and direct its employment
CAPITAL is paramount and labor subordinate oy ne
cause labor consents and voluntarily, to that form
of ORGANIZATION in our industries which produces that
result The value OF cooperative effort has had many
practical Illustrations some OF which nave come uhucr
my observation
COOPERATION IN MINING.
"In the early history of California some OF the
largest and profitable mining enterprises were
projected and carried on by association alone large
number of men possessed OF productive capacity pu'
without capital combined TO cooperative relation an
energy and ability equal 10 the accomplishment OF the
work in hand The work TO be done required 50 many
DAYS of labor BY their association they contributed 10
a common fund, as 1t were, laborng capacity equal
10 the work to be accomplished II these enterprises Ia"
been projected by single capitalist the first step would
have been to engage amount of labor necessary to
the accomplishment of the wor,that Is TO purchase
the labor Instead therefore, of selling the labor to
single farsighted and enerprsng employer, these me1
contributed by subscription the amount OF labor required
TO he performed. The work accomplished IN this way
gave all the result attained TO the labor expended upon
st.
Undertakings Of great magnitude are more prohtable
than the more incOnsiderabe enterprises because Inc
greater undertakings require greater aggregatons OF
capital and the possession OF large capital enjoyed by
but few. Fewer persons being able TO engage III inc
larger enterprises the profit Is consequently increased
There undertaking open to capital, however great
the amount involved that not accessible TO certain
amount OF labor voluntarily associated and nteligenty
directing its own effort. When an individual employs
one hundred or one thousand in the manufacture OF
wares in the construction Of buildings in the prosecu
ton of any kind Of enterprise he has in fact formed as
association of labor The efforts Of the men employed
are associated In the accomplishment OF any desired
result is ont of the result of such effort That all The
wages and all the premium 10 the employer are 10 b,
produced The employers of labor are the greatest
benefactors 10 mankind. They promote Industry; they
foster spirit of enterprise they conceive all the great
plans TO which the possibilities of civilization Invite
them; and the association of laboring men into co
operative relation which in large take Tho
place OF the employer class must therefore OF necessity
be ennObling
There is mschievOus belief among laboring people
that enterprises with large backing OF capital offer
better guarantee OF employment This is not true. tn,
only guarantee Of employment is its proftablencss
Capital cannot afford continued employment to labor
loss Unless the product OF the labor yields succn
return out of which may be paid and the enter
prise and skill OF the employer properly rewarded, am
the of the capital also rewarded, the enterprise vii
of necessity be abandoned In short cooperative asso
catiOI for the prosecution Of any undertaking stand
exactly the relation, possess precisely the SAM
chances Of success. II the effort Is as Intelligent!
directed do the same kind OF enterprises projected by
individuals and sustained by capital
EXIERPRIsE Axn iNTEI IGEXCE OF EMpI OVERS